Coldstream CAO Trevor Seibel takes the public on a tour of the new Coldstream Community Hall and Child Care Centre on Friday, May 26. (Vernon Matters photo)

By Pete McIntyre

$6.8 million venue

Hundreds attend opening of new community hall in Coldstream, receives positive reviews

May 26, 2023 | 3:30 PM

The newest public facility in Coldstream was drawing rave reviews as it officially opened to the public Friday.

Hundreds of people took a tour through Coldstream Community Hall and the adjoining child care facility in the first couple hours of an open house and grand opening event put on by the District of Coldstream.

“How do you like our fabulous and wonderful new facility? Mayor Ruth Hoyte asked the crowd as she emceed the opening in the large gathering space that can accomodate up to 300 people for events.

The response was overwhelmingly positive.

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“It’s much bigger than I thought it would be,” said one person. “And I really like the design and setting.”

“I think it will get a lot of use for weddings, meetings and that kind of thing. I think it is needed, as are the child care spaces” another attendee told Vernon Matters.

Coldstream councillor, and former long-time mayor, Jim Garlick agreed.

“I think there will be a lot of community use, everything from weddings, to family reunions, to celebrations of life.”

Garlick thinks community groups will also get a lot of benefit from it, and not just from the meeting space it provides.

“I also think it gives us a base in Coldstream to develop groups in our community, If we don’t have a spot for groups to meet and gather, you don’t form that sense of community, so now we have that,” Garlick told Vernon Matters.

The 14,000 square foot facility on Kalamalka Road across from Coldstream Elementary School, is on the site of the former Coldstream Women’s Institute Hall, which served the community with meeting space and other services for more than 80 years.

Mayor Hoyte thanked all the contributors to the project which she said will provide a new, modern gathering place for the community and needed child care services for Coldstream families.

“This project was made possible with grant funding from both the federal and provincial governments. We are grateful for their commitment to making our community a better place! I would also like to thank council and staff for all their hard work in bringing this amazing new amenity to fruition.” Hoyte said.

Garlick was the mayor at the time the idea for a new hall first surfaced at council, which he says was right after council completed the “Grid Road” project in 2011, a vital link on College Way between Kalamalka Road and Highway 97.

One of the rooms in the child care centre run by Maven Lane. (Vernon Matters photo)

Trevor Seibel, Coldstream’s chief administrative officer, said bookings to rent the new hall have been coming in.

“We have two weddings this year and one for next year. We also have bookings for celebrations of life. In all, we’ve had more than 12 bookings so far.”

Seibel said the 84-seat child care centre, run by the non-profit Maven Lane, is “almost at capacity,” and will start operating June 1. The district is leasing the facility to Maven Lane for $1 a year for three years.

The new venue cost $6.88 million, with the bulk of that coming from senior government grants. Three-million came from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, $2.09 million from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program and $450,000 from the Government of Canada’s Canada Community-Building-Fund. The District of Coldstream provided remaining $1.34 million in funding.

The open house and grand opening continues until 7 Friday night (May 26).

(Vernon Matters photo)